FREE MEDICINES TO OUT-DOOR PATIENTS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1745, 4 May 1882, Page 2

FREE MEDICINES TO OUT-DOOR PATIENTS.

[to the editor.] Sir, — I was surprised to 6nd in the Hospital Committee meeting report a letter from the Surgeon respecting a proposed alteration in the rules, of which I, as a member of the committee, had given notice to discuss. Although I considered the letter to be in bad taste, and an uncalled for attempt on the part of an employe to take the management out of the hands of the committee, who were elected at a public meeting, I proposed, and it was carried, that the letter be received and considered, when my notice of motion was under discussion, and I was contented to have made any remarks respecting it then, but as it will be before the public a fortnight prior to the discussion, I must x-equest you to allow me to reply to it thioughyour columus, especially when false and impure motives are attributed to me in bringing forward the proposed alteration. In order to prevent, any other individual from asserfing his ideas as to my motives, I will give my reasons for the amendments I wish to have nnde and they are as follows :—Many Kubscribera or ticket-holders have complained to me, and also to other members of the committee, in regard to the unfairness of charging ont-door patients for medicine, and in several cases we have requested the Surgeon to supply medicines, when we f ,und the parties unable to pay the Chemist. In other cases where the parties could afford to pay, they have declined to, and said they have been imposed on to the amount paid for their ticket, and as I find that at Hokitika and Greymoub. Hospitals, that medicines is supplied to outdoor patients free of charge, I have, come to the conclusion that such a rule should be established in the Kumara Hospital; and hence my proposed amendment. Mr Porter admits that the wardsman does occasionally put up a bottle of medicine, chiefly aperients, and that he has been instructing him in doses and medicine for 12 months, and considers him fully competent to dispense. Now sir, with that admission before me, I must express my astonishment, as it was a condition in the engagement of Mr Porter, that he should dispense for the patients. And in the

Wurdsnian's agreement (whi.-li I drew out) and in which his duties were defined, all inference to disjH'iisinsr, mentioned in ruie 19 was .-.•nvfnlly omitted; Why, therefore, shoiild any patient who 1 has not had confidence in the tnediciues so dispensed have a complaint investii gated, when the offence is admitted before being Charged; Another excuse put forward is, that at Wellington a.,d other hospitals, the dispensing is doue by the Wardsraan, instructed solely by the medical man. It is over ele*eti years since I was in Wellington, and at that time such was not the Case. And with regard to the three West Coast hospitals I am acquainted, Hokitika* Greymouth, and Reeftom Messrs Rtfgg, Cross, and Presbaw, who are the dispensers at those places, are gentlemen fully qualified to dispense medicines in any part of New Zealand; Mr Porter may not be aware that the legislature of New Zealand, in order to prevent incompetent persons from dis pensing prescriptions, passed an act, | called the Pharmacy Act, which providesj that unless a person was engaged in an open shop, for the dispensing of legally qualified medical men's pr - Bcnptiona six months, or, that he was employed as a dispensing chemist in an hospital, charitable institution, or oth«* public institution, for not less than three years prior to the commencement of the Act, which was on the Ist January, 1881, he shall pass an examination. With regard to the que* turn put to me personally, as to whether 1 1 would supply medicines to all the' sick people in the district, for six months, lor 10s; or for a year 20s; I think the questioner must have <»one crooked somehow with his reasoning perhaps be will state his question again, in a more lucid nian.ier, when I shall be most happy to give it the consideration it will merit. IfoUrSj &c, R. Toms,